The present invention relates to covers for pools and, in particular, it concerns a pool cover winding system which uses a water-powered piston motor.
Removable covers are often provided for private and commercial swimming pools. Such covers serve one or more purposes such as: preventing dirt and other objects from entering the pool, reducing evaporation and heat loss, and reducing the danger of drowning. Such covers are often made from a sequence of buoyant slats that are flexibly interconnected. The cover is typically wound onto a rotatable shaft for storage when not in use.
Manual winding of the cover for deployment over the pool or for retraction onto the shaft is often time consuming and difficult. It has been proposed to provide an electric motor to wind-in and wind-out the cover. However, installation of electrical equipment in or around a pool presents considerable safety concerns and maintenance problems.
There is therefore a need for a pool cover winding system which uses a water-powered piston motor.